The Dream of Gerontius

E825945

The Dream of Gerontius is a choral work by Edward Elgar that sets Cardinal John Henry Newman's poem about a soul's journey after death to deeply expressive, late-Romantic music.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf choral work
authorOfText John Henry Newman NERFINISHED
basedOn poem "The Dream of Gerontius" NERFINISHED
catalogueNumber Op. 38
commissionedBy Birmingham Triennial Music Festival NERFINISHED
composer Edward Elgar NERFINISHED
compositionEndYear 1900
compositionStartYear 1899
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
dedicatedTo Rev. John Keble (in memoriam)? NERFINISHED
featuresCharacter Gerontius NERFINISHED
The Angel NERFINISHED
The Angel of the Agony NERFINISHED
The Priest NERFINISHED
firstPublisher Novello & Co. NERFINISHED
genre late-Romantic music
sacred music
hasKeySection Prelude NERFINISHED
Proficiscere, anima Christiana NERFINISHED
The Soul's Journey NERFINISHED
influenced 20th-century British choral tradition
language English
movement Part I
Part II
notableAria "Sanctus fortis"
notableChorus "Praise to the Holiest in the height" NERFINISHED
notableFor complex choral writing
expressive orchestration
intense spiritual drama
performancePractice often performed in concert form
period Romantic era
premiereDate 1900-10-03
premierePlace Birmingham, England NERFINISHED
principalSoloVoice bass (The Priest / The Angel of the Agony)
mezzo-soprano (The Angel) NERFINISHED
tenor (Gerontius) NERFINISHED
religiousTradition Roman Catholicism
requires large chorus
large orchestra
three principal soloists
scoredFor chorus
orchestra
solo voices
structure two parts
subject soul's journey after death
textSourceAuthor Cardinal John Henry Newman NERFINISHED

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Edward Elgar notableWork The Dream of Gerontius